Page 5 of Captured By the Orc

“Eyes on the fight,” Igrowl to more to myself than her, shaking off the pull of her proximity. My hands fly over the controls, dodging debris and returning fire in a deadly dance.

Another fucking mess. Story of my life.

The view-screen flashes, revealing a new threat. Warlord ships, their hulls gleaming with stolen tech, join the fray. Great. Just what we needed.

“What the hell?” I growl, punching in the communication codes. “This is Garoth. I've got your package. Why are you shooting?”

Silence. Then more laser fire.

Fuck! They don't give a shit if we live or die. Probably easier for them if we don't.

“Damn space rats,” I snarl, using a term as old as star navigation itself. Pirates on one side, backstabbing warlords on the other. Just another day in paradise.

I grunt, pushing aside the twinge of... something. And I must be losing my fucking mind thinking about how good she felt against me.

Shit! The battle roars around us. My hands are slick, but I don't miss a beat. Gotta stay sharp. Survive. It's not just my ass on the line anymore.

It's her.

Can't afford distractions. “On my mark, lower the shields,” I bark.

“Gonna use the power to hyperdrive?” She nods, “Smart.”

She moves like a warrior, all lean muscle and purpose. It's... annoying. Yeah, that's it. Annoying.

“Nice to see you know your way around something other than treaties.” And I’m definitely not noticing how she looks in the gunner's seat.

“Keep underestimating me, Garoth,” she fires back. “It'll make my victory all the sweeter.”

The ship bucks again, and she's pressed against me, and fuck if it doesn't light up every nerve.

I shake it off. Survival first, hormones later. She pushes off me, her face flush. I weave us through a hail of laser fire.

“Left thruster's hit!” Lila calls out.

“Compensating,” I growl, pushing my baby beyond her limits. Not just fighting for my hide anymore. When did that happen?

“We're not going to last much longer,” she warns.

“Then let's end this,” I say, a plan forming. It's crazy, but so is this whole situation. “Now!”

But the hyperdrive whines. Shit, shit, shit. “It needs to reboot. Gonna buy us some time.”

I hit the trash release, clouding their sensors. It buys us a moment, but that’s all I need. With the shields down and my ship a bit lighter from the trash release, I punch the button. The ship shudders, and then we’re whizzing past all the ships and stars, spitting us out into another part of the galaxy.

Spotting an asteroid belt, I maneuver us to one part, landing on a huge asteroid while my crippled ship recovers.

“We’ll be safe here for now.” The hyperdrive’s shot and until we can fix it along with the rest of the damage, we’re sitting ducks. Just hope the warlords and pirates are fighting among themselves to try and follow us.

“Looks like you're stuck with me, Diplomat.”

She lifts her chin. “Lila.”

We're not out of this mess, not by a long shot. Somehow I don’t want to turn her over to the warlords now and it’s not just that they double-crossed me. It’s me wanting to know more about her. And that thought? It's more terrifying than any space battle.

CHAPTER 3

LILA

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